1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to containers and in particular to metal can bodies having an end wall and, upstanding from the periphery of the end wall, a side wall which includes a plurality of longitudinal flexible panels forming a fluted profile; and more particularly but not exclusively, to metal can bodies intended to be closed by a lid such as are used to container processed foods.
2. Description of Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,578,976 describes a can body embossing apparatus which includes a can body supporting embossing mandrel which has circumferentially-spaced axially-extending ribs on its periphery that are engageable with a resilient forming member so that parallel, axially-extending crease lines are formed on the can body.
The applicants earlier UK Patent Aplication GB-A-2237550 describes can bodies having a fluted profile provided by complete flutes and the present invention relates to an improvement in such can bodies and to a method and apparatus for their manufacture. Adjacent crease lines will define axially extending concave flutes therebetween. The axial ends of these flutes however will be undefined and the flutes will not be complete, that is, they will not have a closed perimeter defining the axial ends as well as the sides of the flutes.